Lock-actuated circuit-breaker for ignition systems of explosive-engines.



o. FORIHMILLER. LOCK ACTUAIED CIRCUIT BREAKER F03 IGNIION SYSTEMS 0F EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 5.1918.

1,298,322. Patented Mau'. 5, IIIQ.

' many in 1896, carne to the United o'r'ro rroRfiHMinnen,

J. MAIER, one-sufrir To ens'rnvn romnmimnn, .AND

entre@ We@ OF M'JNNEAPOLIS, EvIINNESQTA, ASSIGNOR 01T ONF HATJFT JOHN" ONE-SIXTH TO KARL FORTHMILLER, ALL F BIINIEAPOLIS, MNNESUTA.

LOCK-ACTUATED CIRCUIT-BREAKER FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS OF EXT?LSlIVIlENGJIN'I-ES.`

i ,senese Specification of Letters Eatent.

'Patented Moi". 25, 1919,

Application led April 5, 1918. Serial No. 226.8213.

To all whom it may-concern.'

Be it known that l, O'rro FoirriiiiiLLnu, a citizen of theUnited States, born in Ger Sintes in 19153, took out first papers in September, 1917, residing at lvlinn uipolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Miniiesoi'a,lia\'e in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Loek-Actuated Circuit-Breakers for lIgnition Systems of Explosive-Engines; and do hereby declare the following tobe a full,

elear, and exaetdeseriptimi or" the invention,

. of an automobile dash Same.

suoli as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the My invention has for its object topro` vide an extremely simple lock actuated eireuit breaker for ignition systemsv of explosive engines; and to this end, generally stated, it consists of 'the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters iii-- die-ate like parts -throughout the several views, r i Referring to the drawings v Figure 1 is ajraginentary front elevation having the invention applied thereto, some parts being slimvn in different positions by means of broken lines; Fig. EZ is a transverse section, taken on the line fab-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4i is a vertical section, vtaken on the line 1l-4 of Fig. 2, onan enlarged scale; and Fig. 5 is a vert-'leal section, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale.

The numerals 6 and 7 indicate, res ieetively, the dash and hood of an antonio ile,

and the numeral 8 indicates the wires of the Y ignition system lea-ding from the magneto, battery, or other `source of electrica-l energy, to the spark plugs of an internal combustion engine.

Interposed in the Wires 8 o'f the ignition system ismy improved loo z actuated circuit breaker, which includes a' plurality o' fixed rcont-acts 9 eindje plurality 'eoperatine:A

and highly ellieient movable contacts 1l). mounted in a metal housing 11, secured to the bark of the dash o b y screw bolts l2, passed through said oash from the front thereof. All of the fixed contini-ts 9 are mounted on a horizontal 55 fixed bar 13, and all of the movable contacts 1() are mounted. on and earriedb'v a horizontal movable bar 14, li'ieated, the latter below the former. Bot-l1 of these bars are made lfrom tlherj or other suitable insulating' 60 material, and the number of. pairs'of'oontaets 9 and 10, of course, correspond to the number of Cylinders in the engine.

A. pair of upright guide rods l5 have their-i ends anchored in the top and bottom of the housing` 1l. and extend through alinod hores in the ends ot' the hars 121 and ll.` The fixed bar 13 is rigidli," secured to the guide rods 15 by opposing Clamping nuls 1S'. having sereiv threaded engagement with said rods. "'0

The bar 14 is mounted on the rods 15, with freedom lfor vertieal movement lo carry the movable-eontaet's 10 into 'and outo electrieal engagement. with the fixed contacts il.

To take the ive-ar between the bar 14 on the 7'- guide 'rods 15. I provide sleeve-like hushings 1( for said bar. These bushings 17 have -suflirient length to keep the bar ,1 4 againstV v angular twistingr movement on' the guid' rods 15 and in parallel relation to tlieb'ar S0 13, Coiled springs 1R, encircling the guide rods l5, coinpremiod between the lower ends of the bushing' 17 and the. bottom of the housing 11, are under strain to lift the bar -14 and thereby ein-ry the inovable'eontaets SFV 10 into electrical engagement 'with the fixed contacts 9.

To depressthe movable har le and therebyI carry the movable contacts 'LO out ot electrical engagement with the fixed contaetsll) to break the ignition circuit to the several sparkvplugs of the engine and, at the seme time, look said bar in sneh position, I. provide a combination lock'v with a, eonneetion from its tumbler actuated look-bolt to said movablebar. The combination lock shown comprises a easing '19,.tumhlers 20, tumbler actuated leek-'holt 21, and dial equipped knob 22, having a stem 23 for olmifatiiig the 'tumblers 20. The. easing" 19 .is seeuredtothe 100 top ofv the housingill and projects-downward therein` The stein 23 extends through -By thus locating the stoppingy his `engine and simultaneously locking the saniewith the stopping thereof.'

The lock-bolt 21 projects downward toward the movable bar l-i. at one side therey i fixed bar, lock inecl-ianism including a tuin-- bier-actuated lock-bolt, anda connection .be-

of, and the connection between said -lockbolt and movable Abar 14, heretofore referred' to, isin the form of a stein 25. The upper -15,

end of this stein 25 is rigidly secured to 4the lock-bolt 2l by-serewthreaded engagement.

On the other or .lower end of the stenif25 is a paii-,of arms 26, the free ends of which are arranged to project -upwardly'through apertures forn'ied'in the ends of the' n'iovable bar .14.' and rigidly secured thereto by opposing cl aiiipiiig nuts 27. Obvio usly, byjadjusting tliesennts 27, the bar 14 may be horizon-tally set to cause the Ibushings 1.7 to freelyA slide on the guide rodsl. Alsol by adjiisti'ngu the nuts 16 the bar 13 nia be lhorizontal'l 7 l positioned to'cause a simultaneous engagement of the movable contacts-10 with the fixed contacts 9.- To prevent an unaiithor- `iz'ed person' from tampering .with the wires 'y 8-tlie saine enter and leave the housing 11 through a branch conduit 28.

.I `i"om` the above description'itis evident' that a niovementof. the knob 22 to set the llock-bolt 2l into a locking, position will simultaneously' break the ignition eircuitaiid lock the movable contacts in inoperative positions.v With the ignition' system thus broken,` it will beA impossible foranyone to start the engine-'\ vithout knowing thereonibination of the lock.v A person knowing the combination, however, can very quickly manipulate the knob 22toopei'ate the tnm.

blers, and thereby release they lock-'bolt As vsoon as the' lock-bolt is rcl-e ased,' the springsl 1H lift the b ar 14, and thereby'carry the movable contacts into electrical engagement -with the fixed lcontacts to "complete the ignition circuit. These springs l8'=al's o perform another important function, and that is', tliev constantly'keep-the movable contacts in electrical engagement. -witlithe fixed .contacts under the vibratory movementfo'f the automobile.

hat I lclaim is:

t" 1. Switchv mechanism including a casing,

alpair of ,guide rods', va fixed bar, a movable bai' mounted on the guide rods for movement contacts carried -by said twobill's, Springs `.go'pei'ative on the ends-oi"- the movable bar`v -to hold the .contacts carried theiebyin eni gagement with theycontacts carried by the tion.

a. pair of guide rods, a fixed -baigapniovable "barumounted on f the guide. rods for move- .ment toward, and 4from' the fixed bai eooperating contacts carried by said twobars, .Springs operative on lthe ends of `the movable baifto hold the contacts carried'thereby in ei'igagement*with thecontacts carried by the fixed bar. means for angularl'y adjusting the.y

fixed bar with respect tothe movable bai', lock mechanism including a tumbleractulock-bolt and movable bar foimoving the 2Q Switch mechanism ineli'iding'a casing@ Itoward and from -tliefixedfbzr. coi'ipei'ating" --taets .carriedthereby into eircuit-open posi-f` said movable bai' and the contacts vcarried thereby into circuit-onen position. A

ment toward and Jfrom the fixed bar. co-

operating contacts carried by said'twofbars7 9 0.

springs operative on the ends ot" tlie movable jbai' to hold the contacts .carried thereby in. engagement with the contacts carried'by the fixed bar, llock mechanism including atuiii' bler-aetnated locl{-biii', aiid a connection exte'iidlnggfrom the lockfbolt '.to both ends of the mov-able bar for movin" the said movable circuit-open position. p y

In testimony whereof I afiix my. signature bar andthe-contacts carried thereby finto V-in presence 'of two witnesses.`

o'iTo'roRTiiMILLn'n. vKVVitnesses: -v Henna LIEDER,

HARRY D. KmGOREj 3. Switch mechanism including a casing. a 'pair et' guidev "rods, a fixed bar, a nu'wablc bar mounted on the guide rods for move--` 

